Well, a couple of days in Toronto with Béa has crystallized a number of issues over which Victor and I had been ruminating in our adaptation of The Mapmaker’s Opera into a Stage Musical. Essentially, all is well, and our instincts about the importance of certain symbolisms underpinning the novel’s narrative appear to resonate with our own instincts in terms of what to foreground through the stage narrative and overall structure of the Musical’s drama. Continue Reading →
Thank you Béa Gonzalez
Welcome to Toronto!
So, I am very excited to be heading up to Toronto today to see Béa and to play for her – and some special invitees – the music for The Mapmaker’s Opera in a special presentation on Monday. It will be good to get feedback to significant sequences of the score, never previously heard outside of my studio, from those who will be attending this little gathering. Continue Reading →
La Inolvidable y Añorada Trova Yucateca
I have been fortunate to obtain this CD; the information for which was provided to me by Brígido Galván in recent email correspondence.
In short, I love this CD! It has provided all sorts of new inspiration for some of the songs yet to be written for certain characters in the Musical of The Mapmaker’s Opera. The CD itself is 2002 release from BMG Entertainment México S.A. (IMSN: 74321 97621-2) and provides a wealth of music, mostly recorded between 1958-78.
‘Trova Yucateca’ is a musical milieu, as opposed to a musical genre. The style shares much in common with Neapolitan Song and other forms of Italian ‘canzona’. It uses quite distinct devices of vocal harmonies, cross-rhythms and cadential endings similar to the llamada in Flamenco song. Beyond this similarity, however, there seems to be little relationship to Flamenco – at least from the songs included in this two CD set. Continue Reading →
Under Her Spell – The New Song At last!
Hi Folks,
I post this picture of Chris Scallan because his audio mix of the new song (yes, the much awaited, long overdue, previously promised on a number of occasions – never to materialize – mythical entity of a song) is simply amazing and wonderful!
Equally wonderful is the vocal by Sam Rabbone, who, once again; as he did on the track ‘Home Sweet Home’, has delivered a performance that perfectly captures the ‘heart and soul’ of our young protagonist, Diego Clemente. Continue Reading →
Getting Help From The Experts
Welcome back. I know – It’s been a little quiet lately – mostly due to deadlines around orchestrations for some of the wonderful artists and composers with whom I am privileged to collaborate in the USA. Notwithstanding, my friend in Ohio, Diana, independently has been doing a wonderful job in background research on my behalf pertaining to music in the Yucatán region in and around 1900 -10, with tremendously exciting discoveries – all due to her singular diligence and enthusiasm.
Amongst a number of other discoveries; through talking with curators and librarians in various institutions and libraries across the US and in México, Diana got a recommendation to approach the Society of Ethnomusicology (SEM) and, in particular, the Latin American Caribbean (LAC) section of that professional organisation. So this is where I enter the picture. Continue Reading →
A Musical History of México – PART 2a
Returning to this subject now. I don’t think it is unreasonable to to compare the music of México to its many baroque cathedrals and churches. Plans and elevations were Spanish in design, but the construction itself was the work of natives and they left their stamp on every element of the buildings. So with folk and popular music, the framework is mainly Spanish in tonality and mode, and in the structure of its melody, harmony and meter; but the melodic inflection and ornamentation, and rhythmic combinations show definite Indian influence. Continue Reading →
Back at Work and Latest Updates
Hi folks. OK so, we’re back hard at work on MMO. Victor and I are currently working through the song that ends our show. This is probably the trickiest moment in the development of any new Musical (other than writing soliloquys) – how do you bring a work to a satisfying conclusion both dramatically and aesthetically? I’ve seen too many Musicals (successful or otherwise) with weak, indecisive, emotionally unsatisfying conclusions, to believe that writing endings is simple! Continue Reading →
Review: José Fernándes Torres (Tomatito) Orchestral Flamenco CD
On a 2009/10 Deutsche Grammophon release by Tomatito, there is a most interesting work entitled ‘Sonanta Suite’; loosely referred to as a Concerto for Guitar, which it’s not, performed by José Fernándes and accompanied by Josep Pons (cond.) and la Orquesta Nacional De España. The work itself, as far as I can glean, dates back somewhat earlier than the recording, having been orchestrated by Juan Albert Amargós, and premièred at L’Auditori in Barcelona in June 2004.
Yuletide Greetings and Season Best Wishes
I’m on a train heading south from Yorkshire to London as I write this last entry for 2011. So, to all MMO aficionados; on behalf of the entire team who are hard at work on bringing Béa’s wonderful novel, ‘The Mapmaker’s Opera’, to the musical stage in 2013, may we wish all our subscribers, followers and increasingly numerous supporters, a very Happy Christmas and peaceful, joyous, New Year.
Oh, the picture? It’s just a bit of seasonal silliness that we thought everyone might find humorous. No offence intended! Continue Reading →
Make Musicals: The Web Site of Brisa Trinchero
Although the web site link below has nothing to do with The Mapmaker’s Opera, I felt that it was a worth a quick post to disseminate the URL for what transpires to be a very, very good web site devoted to the Art of making musical theatre.
There are, in actual fact, very few decent, informative or useful web sites devoted to the creative impetus behind writing new works for the musical stage. In this instance, the creator of Make Musicals is Brisa Trinchero (pictured, and before you ask, “No I don’t know her”). The following short bio. excerpt is taken from her ‘About’ page: Continue Reading →
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